Nora hurried through the antiseptic-scented corridors of the hospital, her steps echoing the urgency of her mission. She had to find Sebastian, Alexander's friend, the only person who might understand the gravity of the situation.As she approached Sebastian's room, she saw him sitting by the window, lost in thought. His eyes, once lively, carried the shadows of concern. "Sebastian," she called softly, not wanting to startle him.He turned, and his face lit up with a mixture of surprise and relief. "Nora, what brings you here?" he asked, concern etched across his features."I need to talk to you. It's about Alexander," Nora replied, taking a seat beside him.Sebastian's expression shifted to one of deep concern. "What happened? Is he okay?""He came to my house yesterday with a gun," Nora revealed, her voice quivering with the weight of the truth. "If the police hadn't arrived when they did, I don't know what would have happened to me and my family."Sebastian's eyes widened, and shoc
Nora stood in the witness box, a solemn hush descending over the courtroom. The weight of the Bible in her hands felt both grounding and burdensome. Her heart raced, a palpable thud echoing in her ears, as she swore to tell the truth.Nora was consciously avoiding Alexander's eyes. The air seemed charged, tension thick enough to cut with a knife. She dared not look at him, for fear that the tumult of emotions within her might spill out.The gallery watched with a mix of curiosity and judgment, their collective gaze intensifying the pressure on her. The lawyers, clad in sharp suits, posed questions that unravelled the threads of her life, forcing her to relive moments she would rather forget.The swell of emotions threatened to engulf her, but Nora clung to the Bible in her hands, finding strength in the oath she had just taken. It was a promise to truth, a commitment to untangle the web of lies that had ensnared her life.Alexander's eyes burned into the side of her face, but she dared
Miley's voice quivered as she cleared her throat, "Greg, I am deeply sorry about what happened between us," she started. "There was so much I needed to tell you, but I was mostly ashamed of myself." A heavy silence hung in the air as Greg remained stoic, prompting Miley to continue, "I was the only child of my parents. My father was a billionaire, and everything was rosy for my family and me until he was arrested for tax evasion. He was billed about two hundred billion dollars," Miley said, her voice cracking with the weight of her past."I remember my father frantically trying to sell off some of our assets to pay the fine. We moved from the upper class down to nothing. My mother couldn't stand the humiliation and took the money raised to pay the IRS and left my dad; she left us. That was not even the painful part. I discovered my dad had a congenital heart disease and desperately needed surgery," Miley said, her voice breaking with the emotional toll of the memories."My dad needed t
Nora sat still until a wave of calmness washed over her. "When I told you I slept with Sebastian, it wasn't to hurt you. I only said so because I didn't want to pass off his child as yours," she revealed, her voice remarkably composed. "What I didn't know is that Sebastian and I didn't have sex that night. He was naked because his clothes were soiled with my vomit; I had vomited on his clothes and mine that night," Nora explained, a mix of relief and vulnerability in her eyes, as the weight of a long-held secret finally found its release.A stunned silence descended upon the room as Nora's words hung in the air. "Hold on," he muttered, massaging his temples as if trying to physically knead away the shock. "You're saying... Sebastian never..."He couldn't finish the sentence. The implication, the accusation he'd held onto for so long, was crumbling under the weight of Nora's calm assertion.Nora, her voice tight with nervous hope, shook her head. "No, he didn't. There was never any inf
Through the haze, Samuel spotted his attacker - Greg, a man usually known for his calm demeanour, now transformed into a snarling hurricane."Greg?" he croaked, disbelief lacing his voice.Before Samuel could react further, Greg lunged again, another blow aimed at his ribs. This time, Samuel managed to dodge, stumbling back further into the apartment. Adrenaline surged through him, dispelling the shock. Each of his words was laced with venom, accusation dripping from his lips like poison.Samuel took some steps back, "Calm down, Greg!" Samuel rasped, the words tasting metallic on his tongue. "Let's just..."But "let's just" never had a chance. As if fueled by the very words, Greg launched himself forward, another punch aimed at Samuel's reeling head. It connected with a sickening crunch, and Samuel tasted blood, his vision threatening to swim.Panic rose in him, but it was quickly smothered by a surge of defensive anger, Greg threw a punch aimed at his chest and Alexander blocked it.
Nora's gaze softened as she took in Greg's dishevelled state. The tell-tale bruises on his knuckles, the dried blood caking his face, and the crimson stains blooming across his shirt painted a picture of a violent encounter. Her initial guardedness gave way to a wave of concern. "Greg, what happened?" she asked, her voice laced with genuine worry.His response was a choked sob, the words catching in his throat before spilling out in a torrent of broken phrases. "He... he..." He stammered, unable to form a coherent sentence. The raw emotion in his voice, devoid of the anger that had fueled their previous interactions, sent a pang through Nora's heart.Despite the confusion and hurt swirling within her, the sight of his vulnerability triggered a protective instinct. Without a word, she opened her arms, offering him a safe harbour in the storm of his emotions. Greg collapsed into her embrace, his body wracked with sobs that resonated through the silence.As his tears subsided, he pulled
Nora led him to the couch and sat down. Nora's hand reached out, patting the cushion beside her on the couch. "Greg, please sit," she said, her voice barely a whisper. Her eyes, usually bright and lively, were brimming with unshed tears. Greg's heart plummeted. He knew where this was going, he felt it in the tension that crackled between them.He sat down beside her, bracing himself for the storm. "Greg," Nora began, her voice thick with emotion, "I need to tell you something, something that's been tearing me apart. Please know, everything I say comes from a place of deep love, for you and Graycen."His chest tightened. Love, he thought, a bitter tang on his tongue. Was that what it was? Or was it something else, something more painful?"When we first met, that day at the mall" she continued, a ghost of a smile playing on her lips, "I admit, you weren't exactly my cup of tea. You were rude and a bit standoffish." He chuckled humorlessly, remembering their fiery first encounter."Bu
Nora couldn't sleep that night. She kept turning in bed, feeling anxious. Each time she called Alexander, he didn't pick up, making her worry even more. Why did he take their daughter to the hospital without telling her?Graycen's innocent words, "Dad took me to the hospital," kept replaying in her mind, making her angrier. She imagined scary scenes of needles and hospital rooms, making her more upset.Underneath her anger, a deeper fear crept in. What if something was seriously wrong with Graycen, and Alexander wasn't telling her? This thought scared her even more, and the quietness in her house made everything heavier.Miles away, Alexander was in a hospital bed, surrounded by machines. He was in a deep sleep because of the medicines, and his body was undergoing a treatment Nora knew nothing about. The machines beeped softly, creating a contrast to the chaos in Nora's heart.As the night went on, Nora's face showed the pain she felt. The questions, fear, and silence became suffocati